Jazz artists with remarkable careers but never really composed much.

[Hardbopjazz]

The one right off the top of my head is Chet Baker. Dozens of sessions as a leader but not much music composed by him.

Can anyone think of any others?

Edited May 28, 2009 by Hardbopjazz

[Royal Oak]

Art Pepper? I don't own much beyond the Contemporary era, but I was struck by the lack of original compositions.

[Drew Peacock]

I think I need a definition of composed. Example: Does Keith Jarrett compose or does he just improvise? Were not a lot of the classical jazz compositions the result of repeated jam sessions? Does changing the melody within a set of chord progressions represent a new composition?

Stan Getz...I can't remember a single composition of his but he did collaborate with Jobim. Does that count?

[GA Russell]

My first thought was Cal Tjader.

[flat5]

Getz wrote a good blues :-)

Pepper may not have been prolific but he wrote good tunes.

Edited May 28, 2009 by flat5

[Cyril]

Does that count?

Why not

Ben Webster, he composed a few songs....

[Hardbopjazz]

I am looking more for compositions other then improvising.

[sady42]

The first track on the album Broken Wings (1978 LP) "Blue Gilles" was composed by Chet's.

First track side B. Sorry

[Hardbopjazz]

The first track on the album Broken Wings (1978 LP) "Blue Gilles" was composed by Chet's.

First track side B. Sorry

Thanks, and welcome to the board.

[Chuck Nessa]

The first track on the album Broken Wings (1978 LP) "Blue Gilles" was composed by Chet's.

First track side B. Sorry

Who is Chet's?

[Ken Dryden]

Art Tatum comes to mind

[sady42]

Who is Chet's?

[B. Goren.]

Oscar Peterson.

[flat5]

I wondered about Oscar. Anyone got the facts?

How about Terry Gibbs?

Pops Foster :-)

[Cliff Englewood]

Considering how many sessions he was on or leader of, and considering how much of it got released, Miles Davis. I know he composed a good few classics but there are so many albums where it's all standards or the writing of his band members.

[Joe G]

I think I need a definition of composed. Example: Does Keith Jarrett compose or does he just improvise? Were not a lot of the classical jazz compositions the result of repeated jam sessions? Does changing the melody within a set of chord progressions represent a new composition?

"just improvise"

My favorite phrase.

[Drew Peacock]

I'm not putting Mr. Jarrett down at all. He's one of my favorite jazz artists. Do you not see the difference between improvisation and composition? Is there a jazz musician that can not improvise?

[Joe G]

I'm not putting Mr. Jarrett down at all. He's one of my favorite jazz artists. Do you not see the difference between improvisation and composition? Is there a jazz musician that can not improvise?

I'm not talking about Jarrett. It's the "just" that gets me here. As in, "oh, I'm just sitting here watching tv..." Takes a LOT of work to improvise at a high level, just as much work as it would take to become a great composer. In the moment, it may seem to come easily, but the homework has to be done first.

For the purpose of this thread, Hardbopjazz is defining composition in the narrow sense of tunes, songs, pieces ... things that you put your name on and give a title to. More broadly, we can say that the use of any preconceived music, such as licks, lines, patterns, melodies, specific chord voicings, etc., would constitute compositional playing. Most of the improvised solos that we hear in jazz contain various degrees of compositional playing, though usually not in the sense of being through-composed. That's what we call the Jazz Language. There's no value judgement here, but for the practicing musician it is a distinction worth making.

So for example, Oscar Peterson didn't write many tunes, but in order to play fast and continuously as he often did required him to have lots of patterns, licks, and lines well-practiced and at the ready, and to be able to work with them on the spot.

Jarrett has a bunch of tunes in the first Real Book, so we can say he's done all three: composing, compositional-improvising, and pure improvisation.

[jazztrain]

Some of those "classics" were either appropriated from others or incorrectly attributed to Davis.

quote name='Cliff Englewood' date='May 29 2009, 05:54 AM' post='921083']

Considering how many sessions he was on or leader of, and considering how much of it got released, Miles Davis. I know he composed a good few classics but there are so many albums where it's all standards or the writing of his band members.

[paul secor]

Art Blakey, if drummers are being considered.

[Robert J]

I wondered about Oscar. Anyone got the facts?

Best-known compositions:

"Hymn to Freedom" on Night Train (1962)

All of the Canadiana Suite (1964)

[Dan Gould]

Seems to me Barry Harris hasn't written much.

[Swinging Swede]

There was at least a Barry Harris Plays Barry Harris album on Xanadu.

Sonny Stitt comes to mind. And the compositions that have his name on them are very simple riff tunes. The contrast to Charlie Parker is striking in that regard.

[Royal Oak]

Another Sonny, Sonny Criss.

[Brownian Motion]

I can't think of a single composition by Teddy Wilson.